What a Way to Go
by Displaced Warrior
Summary: Natalia doesn't appreciate Liv being Frank's cheerleader.


**Title: **What a Way to Go

**Disclaimer: **I'm not even lucky enough to own these characters in my dreams.

**Beta: **Nonexistent any and all mistakes are my own.

**Author's Notes take 1: **This story takes place the morning after Olivia's thoughtful cheer-up Natalia dinner but wait Frank can you do me a favor fail. The events of the 1.02.09 episode remain cannon but then veer blissfully into A/U.

**Author's Notes take 2: **I posted this story over on IncandescentFire (one of the best sites ever, so show some love) and on it I mentioned I had a ton of unfinished fics. This was a while ago and RL has been a super bitch but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and figured posting this here as well is a nice small easy step in the right direction lol.

So let me know what you think. xD

**What a Way to Go**

**Knock knock**

Olivia felt the knocks from the door reverberating in her skull.

_Ugh I'm getting to old to function on no sleep. God I remember the days I could stay up through an entire weekend partying and be no worse for wear on Monday morning._

Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose trying to alleviate some of the tension before dealing with whatever horrors awaited her on the other side of that door

**Knock knock **

"Olivia?"

Hearing the muffled voice of her assistant Olivia heaved a sigh and tried to gather her wits.

_Fabulous she's gunna know something's wrong the second she sees me and if I tell her I didn't sleep well, she'll in all probability haul me off to go see Rick and on the off chance she doesn't there's no way I'll escape without at least a lecture about the importance of taking care of myself and it's not like I can just say oh don't worry Natalia I'm fine no really it isn't my heart. I mean it is but not physically, ya see thing is I've fallen in love with you but I know aside from the mountains of other problems we'd have to deal with, your religious beliefs would never let us be together so I planned a romantic dinner to help cheer you up cause I knew you could use it last night and sent Frankie as my replacement which effectively kept me up all night sulking._

_Rolls eyes_

_Yea that'd go over well_

_Sigh_

"Come in"

Natalia walks into the office closing the door behind her. She makes her way into the center of the room stopping in front of Olivia's desk. Minutes pass but she doesn't speak. She just stares at Olivia like a bug under a microscope causing the other woman to fidget from the intensity.

_Why is she looking at me like that?_

"Uh Hi Natalia. What's up?"

Natalia continues her silent assessment for another minute or so before locking eyes with Olivia and uttering a single word "Why?"

It isn't a question it's a demand.

If Olivia were a cartoon there would no doubt be smoke billowing from her head indicating gears currently spinning in overdrive.

_She couldn't possibly know_

"Um what are you talking about?"

"Olivia Spencer you know damn well what I'm talking about and I want an explanation now!"

Any answer Olivia may have come up with was lost as all her effort was currently tied up in trying not to grin. She had always felt a rush at Natalia's fiery side.

Back in the days they fought over Gus or her heart she attributed the adrenaline rush to hatred and reveled in their fights always trying to prolong the feeling. Afterwards struggling with the foreign feelings of guilt that plagued a conscious she believed had been nonexistent for quite some time.

She knew better now what the rush really meant, the ways more enjoyable than fighting it could be obtained. She had no time to dwell as she realized rather quickly she was doing an awful job of concealing her smirk if the way Natalia just narrowed her eyes was anything to go by.

_Shit Spencer now is sooo not the time to be thinking about that, mind out of the gutter focus on getting Natalia not pissed at you_

"Look Natalia I really have no"

"STOP!"

Olivia's mouth clicked shut with an audible snap her eyes widening considerably.

"Ok see now I really really wanted to hear you tell me, but I know you well enough to know that isn't going to happen. So I'm going to go ahead and tell you what you did and you are going to tell me why you did it."

Natalia spoke slowly enunciating each word as if she were speaking to a small particularly difficult child.

"Now Olivia I want you to nod if you understand me."

Olivia at a complete loss was unable to do anything but comply.

"Ok good. Now I want to know why I came home last night, still a bit upset over Rafe and just wanting to spend time with my family, only to find a romantic dinner that has Olivia Spencer written all over it mind you, but no you and Emma or even a you sans Emma instead I find FRANK COOPER standing in my kitchen with that ridiculous grin on his face!"

At this point Olivia was pretty much gaping like a fish out of water unable to think words let alone vocalize them.

"Natalia?" Olivia was dismayed to realize she actually squeaked.

_Olivia Spencer does not squeak dammit but shit shit shit what am I supposed to say?_

"Yessss, O-liv-i-a" the way she dragged out her syllables and the dangerously low tone of her voice would have had almost anyone swallowing hard, it was only years of being a business mongrel that kept from Olivia noticeably gulping.

_Ok so she definitely knows._

_No really ya think? What gave it away?_

_Snark not helping here, ok so lying's out of the question. Looks like it's half- truth time._

"I just want you to be happy"

"What made you think I WASN'T happy Olivia?"

"I..I...I didn't mean I just thought that"

"FRANK COOPER? Olivia."

"I mean seriously I have been fending off his advances practically since Gus died"

Olivia winced a bit at this but felt like she needed to see this through. After all it was what was best for everyone. Wasn't it?

"He's a good man Natalia"

"I'm well aware of his good man status Olivia but that's not reason enough to date him" Exasperation seeping out of every syllable falling from her lips.

"But Natalia"

"NO! Olivia."

Natalia sits down in the chair across from Olivia's desk and reaches over to take her hands. Grasping them more firmly as Olivia tries to pull away she then begins to rub her thumb over Olivia's knuckles. Olivia keeps her head down.

"Olivia I need you to look at me"

Olivia's eyes remained steadfastly trained on her desk.

_I can't look at you because if I look at you I will lose the extremely small bit of resolve I have and will not be responsible for my actions._

Disengaging her right hand Natalia gently reaches out and hooks her fingers under Olivia's chin tenderly lifting Olivia's head until their eyes are locked.

"Olivia I need you to listen to me ok and not just listen but really hear what it is I'm saying. I have absolutely no interest in Frank Cooper, none, whatsoever, at all. I'd like to be able to count him among my friends but this crush thing he's got on me can make that a bit awkward"

Natalia's voice was strong and firm but as she continued she made a point to soften her voice.

"Olivia I am the happiest I can ever remember being, living at the farmhouse with you and Emma, working at the Beacon. I am in such a good place in my life right now and there are only two things that could possibly make me any happier. Would you care to venture a guess as to what they may be?"

Lost deep in chocolate orbs Olivia decided she wouldn't be regaining the power of speech anytime soon and merely shook her head.

Natalia reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Olivia's ear.

"Rafe home. So that my family can be complete. I love you and Emma and Rafe so very much, you are all my family and I can't wait for all of us to be together. It may not be exactly the way I pictured it as a little girl, but it's what I've always dreamed of having and it's so very close to coming true."

Olivia watched as Natlia drifted off no doubt daydreaming of familial scenes invoked by her impassioned speech.

As she sat there taking in every nuance of the beautiful woman she'd come to love, the office surrounding her melted away, turning into the farmhouse kitchen.

She watched as Natalia and Emma danced around the kitchen happily making dinner , while she helped Rafe with a paper he was working on for a business class at Springfield U.

Then she was standing outside looking on as Emma squealed running toward the duck pond. Rafe hot on her heels, her and Natlia strolling leisurely behind hands intertwined, watching as their children horsed around and fed the ducks acting for all the world like siblings who had grown up together.

The scene shifted once again this time her and Natalia were curled up together on one end of the sofa with Emma spread out taking up the other, Rafe sprawled out on the floor, a forgotten bowl of popcorn off to side, while a well worn copy of Finding Nemo played on screen.

By the time Olivia regained her senses she was valiantly holding back tears but she managed to croak out

"And the second?" not allowing too much hope to bleed into her voice.

Olivia's voice startled Natlia out of her reverie. She had been imagining her and Olivia hand in hand trailing behind Rafe as an excited Emma dragged her willing victim to meet her ducks.

Natalia cleared her throat and blinked her eyes free of tears that threatened to fall.

Having no idea that the unshed tears shimmering in her love's eyes were evoked by the nearly identical scene played out in her own psyche.

Reestablishing eye contact, Natlia raised her hand bringing it to Olivia's cheek.

"Well last night's dinner was a beautiful idea but next time I'd appreciate it if the brains of the operation stuck around to share it" Natalia said with a pointed look.

Olivia couldn't prevent the small gasp as the younger woman's words registered in her mind.

"Do you mean…" the sentence never did get finished as Natlia exasperated voice cut in.

"Oh my gosh do I have to hit you over the head with this?

Before Olivia could formulate an acceptable response Natalia leaned forward closing the small gap between them. Their eyes fluttered shut at the delicious contact both of them getting lost in the sensation. The kiss deepened as they each desperately tried to get closer only breaking apart when air became an issue.

"Ya know I don't think I get it just yet maybe you should hit me over the head again."

Natalia still breathless from their kiss nearly passed out from THE Olivia Spencer sex voice being used on her. She couldn't help but think the older woman would be the death of her but what a way to go.

This last thought brought on a full fledged smile complete with dimples.

"Oh I think that can be arranged" Natalia purred.

Olivia's found the irony fitting that the woman who saved her life in so many ways would probably be the one to kill her.

_Especially if she continues using that voice. Not to mention the dimples. Oh God the dimples._

Olivia's last coherent thought before losing herself in the embrace of her love was

_But what a way to go._


End file.
